Ajaccio · Valinco · Filitosa

West and Southwest Corsica

Shopping for dinner in Ajaccio, island views from Parata and evenings by the water in Valinco. Two gulfs leave room for both town life and excursions ashore.

Two–three weeks with Ajaccio and Valinco.
Seven–ten days may be enough for the Gulf of Ajaccio alone.

Ajaccio and days ashore ↓

← Corsica and Sardinia Photo sources ↓

Boats in Tino Rossi with Ajaccio’s houses and hills behind, and a white fishing boat in the foreground. — Tino Rossi and the town behind the harbour · 5 September 2014.
Photo: JeanbaptisteM
JeanbaptisteM · Image source CC BY 2.0

Ajaccio and Valinco

Two gulfs on the west coast.

Ajaccio lies in the northern gulf, Propriano at the head of Valinco further south. The maps show places to choose from, without a fixed sailing route.

The overview shows the core area and optional extensions. The small inset locates them on Corsica.Natural Earth · coastline

Filitosa is inland. Porticcio is an excursion by scheduled boat; boat stays at Porto Pollo and Campomoro need confirmation.Natural Earth · coastline

● Potential harbour · ◇ Excursion ashore · ○ Unconfirmed boat stay · ■ Airport

AjaccioTino Rossi and Charles Ornano are different harbours.
Parata and PorticcioViews from land and a day by scheduled boat.
Propriano and Porto PolloA town base and a less certain option for the boat.
CampomoroVillage, beach and walking opportunities.
FilitosaStone figures and a museum inland.
Cargèse, Tizzano and SenetosaOptional extensions, each requiring separate clarification.

A town to spend a few days in

Market first. The rest afterwards.

Fruit and vegetables for the galley, a coffee and a walk through the old streets. In Ajaccio, an ordinary morning can be a lovely part of the holiday.

Crates of tomatoes, peppers and other fruit and vegetables on a market stall. — Fruit and vegetables at Ajaccio market · 23 September 2012.
Photo: Michal Osmenda
Michal Osmenda · Image source CC BY 2.0

Paintings and town life.

The paintings at Palais Fesch can be an outing in their own right, or the day can be spent strolling around town and reading aboard. Several days at the same quay leave time for both.

The actual berth determines how easy it is to walk to and from town independently. Tino Rossi is by the old town; Charles Ornano is further north.

Palais Fesch: exhibitions and visits ↗

Days ashore

Views one day. Beach the next.

Parata, at the outer end of the Gulf of Ajaccio, is a destination approached from land, with views towards the Sanguinaires islands.

A low, rocky peninsula with a tower and islands extending out to sea beneath an overcast sky. — Parata with the Sanguinaires islands beyond · 30 April 2018.
Photo: Mussklprozz
Mussklprozz · Image source CC BY-SA 4.0

Porticcio by scheduled boat.

The scheduled boat from Tino Rossi to Porticcio offers a beach and lunch on the other side of the gulf, from a base in Ajaccio.

The boat service depends on the weather and must fit with the last return. The Parata walk does not require landing on the islands either.

Scheduled boat and islands are different choices

CAPAMOVE advertises a crossing of about 20 minutes; this is the service boat’s time, not an estimate for sailing your own boat. The Porticcio stop is at the tourist office’s passenger pontoon; it is not confirmed as a landing place for your own tender. Private landing, tender access and overnight stays at the Sanguinaires are unconfirmed. Any excursion boat there is a separate operator service.

CAPAMOVE: scheduled boat ↗Parata: visiting from land ↗

Further south · Valinco

An evening along the harbour.

In Propriano, the town is close to the sea, with opportunities to shop for dinner aboard or eat by the water.

Sailing-boat masts in front of warm-coloured house façades and a church tower in Propriano. — Propriano’s waterfront houses behind the harbour · 23 September 2012.
Photo: Michal Osmenda
Michal Osmenda · Image source CC BY 2.0

Town days and outings ashore.

Propriano is a possible base for several relaxed days in town.

Excursions by car offer alternatives ashore. They can suit days when wind or swell makes the open coast less inviting.

Village, beach and coastal path

A day in Campomoro.

Campomoro combines beach and village with walks through low Mediterranean scrub. The tower on the headland gives the place a distinctive silhouette.

Boats in the bay at sunset, with the tower silhouetted on the headland. — Evening light over Campomoro Bay · 8 June 2004.
Photo: Vivrelibre
Vivrelibre · Image source CC BY-SA 3.0

Walking along the coast.

The I Pozzi circuit is a shorter walk, listed at about an hour and a half from the Bassa Torra starting point. Getting to the start and any tower visit take additional time.

The boat’s stay and the possibility for everyone to go ashore must be confirmed. Campomoro can also be visited by car from Propriano. Walking depends on heat, wind and any closures due to fire risk.

Mooring, tender and tower

The water-law declaration receipt dated 5 August 2026 describes a project for 115 moorings for boats of 6–16 metres, with planned operation from June to September. It confirms neither a completed installation nor available visitor places. Lack of operating confirmation does not mean the bay is closed either.

The separate beach-zone order of 25 March 2026 also covers motorised tenders. Boats shorter than 24 metres are not generally exempt. Current map annexes, markings, permitted landing and a safe return to the boat must be checked. The tower’s opening is also unconfirmed.

Authorities’ project notice, August 2026 ↗Beach-zone order, March 2026 (PDF) ↗Tourist office: I Pozzi and the other circuits ↗

A day inland

Faces in stone.

At Filitosa, carved stone figures stand in the landscape. A walk among them, with time to look more closely at their faces, can be followed by a museum visit.

Carved stone figures in a green meadow beneath a large olive tree. — Stone figures beneath the olive tree at Filitosa · 8 May 2008.
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT
Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · Image source CC BY-SA 3.0

This is an excursion by car, not a walk from the boat. Transport both ways and opening on the day of the visit must be confirmed.

Opening hours to reconcile

The operator and tourist office list different hours and seasonal information. We therefore give no fixed opening or transport time here. Check both the archaeological site and the museum before visiting.

Filitosa: operator’s visitor information ↗Tourist office: Filitosa ↗

Possible extensions

Cargèse, Tizzano and Senetosa.

Cargèse to the north tempts with its village and two churches of different rites, uphill from the harbour. Tizzano and Senetosa to the south can form a separate extension for those wanting longer coastal walks.

Berthing and landing at Tizzano are unconfirmed. The tourist office gives four hours from Tizzano to Senetosa and five from Campomoro, one way. The return is additional. Transfers and tender landings along the path are unconfirmed.

The coastal path and longer walks ↗

Northwest Corsica, Bonifacio, Lavezzi and Sardinia are separate areas to explore.

From the journey to the holiday

Meet at an agreed pontoon.

Ajaccio is a possible place to meet the boat. Transport from the airport to the chosen harbour remains to be arranged.

Ajaccio or Propriano?

For Propriano, a ferry from Marseille or a road transfer from Ajaccio airport are possibilities to investigate.

Flights, buses and ferries

Checked 18 September 2026: CAPAMOVE lists airport line 11. The old line 8 file is obsolete; MUVI8 is a ticket name.

The airport’s Oslo listing covered 19 June–16 August and does not establish direct flights in September or later years. Paris Orly, Marseille and Nice are listed as year-round connections; other routes, including Paris CDG, are seasonal. Ferries from Marseille to Ajaccio and Propriano must be checked for the travel date.

Ajaccio airport: destinations ↗CAPAMOVE: airport line ↗Corsica Linea: connections from Marseille ↗

Preparation before the stay.

Any passage from the mainland is a separate leg before the local holiday. Port Napoléon is a separate option for preparations on the mainland.

Ajaccio as a technical base is unconfirmed

The municipality’s 50-tonne lift, a 2025 winter afloat agreement and Espace Plaisance’s storage and workshop in Sarrola-Carcopino are three separate services. A combined solution for lifting, storage and supervision of a sailing boat is unconfirmed.

Keel support and cradle, lifting geometry, rig, any road transport, supervision and insurance must be clarified across the services.

Charles Ornano: services and lifting ↗Municipal agreements and conditions ↗Espace Plaisance: separate workshop service ↗

A small glimpse

Campomoro from the beach.

Sailing Paxos · 0:57 · published 22 July 2022A summer day by the bayBeach, swimmers and boats on the water during the visit of 15–17 July 2022. Open the film on YouTube.

Selected images from the film have been reviewed without sound. The footage shows the atmosphere at the time; it does not confirm current mooring or landing rules.

Sources and photo credits Checked 18 September 2026

Links to operators and authorities accompany the relevant sections.

Town life and excursions

Ajaccio: market and town Palais Fesch Filitosa Cargèse and its churches

Photo sources

Photographers, dates and licences are given below each image. The images date from 2004–2018 and do not document today’s harbour layout.

Ajaccio · JeanbaptisteM Market · Michal Osmenda Parata · Mussklprozz Propriano · Michal Osmenda Campomoro · Vivrelibre Filitosa · Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Map sources

Place maps: Sophie. The coastline comes from Natural Earth 1:10m Land, version 5.1.1. The Corsica inset shows the location of the mapped area.

Natural Earth · public domain Map design · CC BY 4.0